Thursday, 31 January 2019

Electoral violence invariably tarnish the image of nations in which they occur. Naturally, Ghana is no exception. The shocking and completely unacceptable scenes of violence shown on television screens across the globe - showing heavily-built uniformed men beating up people whom one presumes were in the area just to cast votes to select a replacement to succeed the late Hon. Kyremateng Agyarko as the new member of Parliament for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency - ought to be condemned in no uncertain terms, by all who love Mother Ghana passionately, and care deeply about Ghanaian democracy. Disgraceful. Unspeakable. Abominable.

The barbarism seen in the environs of the La-Bawaleshie Presby JHS polling station was particularly revolting. It was as if those brutes-in-uniform beating up people performing their civic duty of going to vote in a by-election - with such impunity - had contrived to destroy Ghana's hard-won reputation as a civilised nation. The New Patriotic Party's (NPP) hotheads who got those thugs into the national security apparatus, have stabbed President Akufo-Addo in the back. They must never be allowed to get away with their abominable and unpardonable actions today. Ever.

The question is: Is it not time the decent members of both the governing NPP, and
opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), understood clearly that if they do not rein in the hardliners and hotheads in their respective parties, they will eventually lose the support of the ordinary people of our homeland Ghana? They must sieze their respective parties back from the hands of the violent individuals into which both parties have fallen - who unfortunately now dominate both parties. It is so ironical that such gratitous violence was perpetrated by the NPP's thuggish militia, the Invincible Forces, in a constitency once held by Hon. Kyremateng Agyarko - who was such a gentleman and a reconciliatory personality: who must be turning in his grave as we speak. Pity. Hmmm,
Oman Ghana eyeasem o - asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa.

Wednesday, 30 January 2019

When Nigeria’s billionaire Kidnapper-In-Chief, Chikwudubem Onwuamadike, was arrested by the Nigerian authorities last year, it emerged that his wife and children were actually living in Ghana. He apparently had two luxury homes here, and lived under the assumed name, Mr. Asare. Compared to Ghana, Nigeria has a long history of kidnapping. Indeed, it has made the boldest and most hardened criminals involved in it very wealthy individuals.

In light of that, perhaps the question we must pose is: Are minnows from Nigeria’s kidnapping-for-ransom-industry using the kidnapping of young women from ordinary backgrounds in Ghana, as a dry run, to test our system's response to kidnapping - so they can target high-value victims, here, such as expatriate oil company employees: safe in the knowledge that they can devise strategies to outwit Ghana's security agencies?

It is instructive that before the latest allegations of criminal conduct against him were made public, Samuel Udoetuk Wills, the Nigerian man said to be responsible for the Takoradi kidnappings, was apparently on the run after escaping from the cells of a police station where he was being held on a different charge. And from his reported pronouncements, he was a foreigner who was clearly contemptuous of the police in Ghana. Why so, one wonders?

Clearly, if the personnel of our security agencies are to be able to successfully combat serous crimes such as kidnapping, and contract killings, they must henceforth be more professional in their approach to work. Taking bribes compromises every police officer who does so. Ditto a police officer who demands money from suspects.

We can neither assure the security of our homeland Ghana, nor ensure the safety of every resident of this beautiful and relatively peaceful country of ours, if personnel of the security agencies are corruptible. In the wake of the recent kidnappings, and high profile killings, our system must no longer tolerate corrupt security agency personnel. They are a danger to us all - and must be rooted out of our system quickly. Haaba.

Tuesday, 29 January 2019

The trouble about your average Ghanaian politician, given a high-level position by a serving president, is that some of them eventually become so power-drunk that they succeed in deluding themselves into thinking that somehow they are invincible - veritable masters of the universe. Hon. Patrick Omane Boamah and Stan Dogbe come easily to mind from the years of high-level-impunity that characterised most of the Mahama era.

It never once occurred to either of those geniuses that the judgement of history can neither be purchased by media manipulation, nor secured by clever strategising, in collaborative-scheming with their big-ego media co-conspirators. Sadly, in the end, they both lost all credibility with most discerning minds in Ghana. President Akufo-Addo's regime's Hon. Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah's 'smoothness' reminds one so much of the aforementioned Mahama-era National Democratic Congress (NDC) regime's Goebbels-like spokespersons.

Alas, what such present-day regime-geniuses forget, is that unlike the indecisive Mahama, President Akufo-Addo is a very serious-minded leader, who will never put personal loyalty (to those appointees who can't deliver world-class performance in office after being appointed by him), above the well-being of Mother Ghana, and the all-important government business, of the promotion of the welfare of the ordinary people of our country.

In any case, in the fullness of time, we will all get to know which 'Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah ''fake-news'' high-level appointee, gets turfed out of office - by a serious -minded and very determined president keen to leave a lasting legacy: by transforming our homeland Ghana into a prosperous society, which achieves the most of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), in the continent of Africa. When that happens, perhaps the Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumahs will finally come to understand why President Akufo-Addo did not consult geniuses like them when appointing Hon. Martin Amidu as our nation's first Special Prosecutor. Hmmm, Oman Ghana - eyeasem o: asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa. ''Fake news"? What fake news? What bloody cheek!

Sunday, 27 January 2019

Is there any way the government of Ghana can possibly assist Menzgold's victims? There are some in Ghana who posit that if the government wants to find creative ways to help retrieve some of the money Menzgold's much-traumatised victims have lost, it must begin by locating any assets that Nana Appiah Mensah owns overseas.

Lawyers for the victims cold then go after those assets in the law courts of the jurisdictions they are located in. Not a bad idea, actually. The question is: Did Menzgold repatriate all the $60 million it made officially from the gold it has apparently exported over the past five years - and if not, what exactly did it do with all that money? Good question.

And should the authorities not persuade Nana Appiah Mensah to reveal all the bribes he offered to currupt individuals whose help he needed, and the disloyal payments he made over the years, to enable him grow his brand and obtain credibility that way? Could it be the case, for example, that he paid bribes to be allowed to sponsor the premiere league - by the greedy mafia that controlled the Ghana Football Association (GFA) during the now-discredited Kwesi Nyantakyi era?

Ditto funded public oficials, inividual politicians and political parties too? And should all those disloyal and illegal payments not be recovered and distributed to Menzgold's hapless victims? Hmmm, Oman Ghana - eye asem o: asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa.

Instead of turning this terrible tragedy - that has resulted in many financially-unsophisticated individuals being ruined - into political football, our nation"s politicians ought to rather collaborate to help Menzgold's victims retrieve some of the money, which that opaque company's promoters allegedly duped them out of.

Perhaps as a people, the question we must pose to ourselves is: Must we allow members of our nation's political class to turn the Mengold fraud into a political football - in order to enable them score cheap propaganda points? No. Definitely, not. Haaba.

The Forestry Commission of Ghana (FC) now has the opportunity to be led by a new CEO. Hallelujah! One hopes that President Akufo-Addo will appoint a truly world-class female CEO, to lead the FC into a new era.

She must be someone who is well-connected globally, and understands the positive impact on our national economy, which an FC underpinned by an ethos of constantly leveraging the massive pool of low-carbon green funds available today - instead of relying on income from timber utilisation contracts and granting mining permits - could have on our ability to meet most of the United Nations Sustainanable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and become a prosperous nation whose people enjoy a good quality of life, in all the three strata of Ghanaian society.

The FC actually has the potential to earn more money for our country, annually, than combined revenues from the export of cocoa beans and gold. Above all, the FC could pay all its employees as well as nations such as Norway and Sweden pay those who manage their forests. The time has come for a new CEO for the FC - who understands clearly that the FC has the potential to earn Ghana more money than combined revenues from the export of cocoa and gold do: and has the nous and gumption to put the FC on the path to those stellar profits. Haaba.

Should those who wrote the inaugural speech delivered on behalf of the newly-installed Yaa Naa, on the day of his enskinment, have paused for a moment, before penning the appeal to President Akufo-Addo's regime to build a new palace for Dagbon's ruler?

The question is: Does Dagbon not count many enterprising and highly-intelligent men and women among its teeming youth - who could marshal the resources needed to build a befitting palace for their king through creative thinking? Haaba. And would the brilliant Ghanaian architect, Kojo Derban, not be happy to design a magnificent edifice for Dagbon's new ruler, if asked to do so by the Yaa Naa himself? Indeed, it would be an honour for any architect, would it not?

Be that as it may, as this blog's widow's mite contribution to the pooling of ideas for raising funds for such a project, we humbly recommend that the traditional outfitters of the kings of Dagbon, should be asked to produce the handmade leather boots, hat, and fugu top/trouser ensemble, such as that worn by President Akufo-Addo on that historic occasion, for sale to the world, on a Gbewaah Palace ecommerce website.

Since the sundry handmade products on the aforementioned ecommerce website will be produced by master craftsmen and women, they will definitely be of superb quality and classified as luxury fashion items that will last a lifetime for those lucky enough to purchase them - and priced accordingly. A thousand dollars per set of leather boots, hat, trousers and fugu top with the seal of the king of Dagbon embossed on them, would be quite a bargain.

And, no one who listened to the royal praise-singer, who strutted his stuff so brilliantly on that joyous occassion, would doubt that the blues genre of music actually originated from the palace of Dagbon's rulers. The possibility of Yendi becoming a mecca for blues singers from around the world, seeking collaborations with Gbewaah Palace praise-singers to produce truly authentic blues songs, is not beyond the realms of possibility. Cool.

That never-ending specialist tourist traffic, could also become a nice little earner for Dagbon, could it not? Combined with contributions from wealthy Ghanaians from across the nation - happy that Dagbon at long last now has a new beginning - surely, Dagombas could put together all the funding needed to build the new Yaa Naa a befitting palace? Indeed, they can - and ought to be encouraged to do so: because they are such an enterprising and dynamic people.

Sunday, 20 January 2019

The murder of the young Ghanaian investigative journalist, Ahmed Hussein-Suale, shows just how far the ruthless and super-greedy oligarchs, whose baleful influence has enabled them dominate our country for decades - regardless of the party in power - are prepared to go, to silence those who they think pose a real threat to them in Ghanaian society. May the brave Ahmed's soul rest in peace. And may his murder be avenged swiftly.

This blog's humble advice to Tiger Eye Private Investigators, is that they should contact London's Forensic Architecture, quickly, to help reveal the identities of the two suspects-on-a-motorbike, who are alleged to have killed Ahmed. That is the surest way to help speed up investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service into Ahmed's murder.

Since they apparently killed considerable time, in a betting shop during daylight hours, before murdering Ahmed at night on the day of his killing, coordinates of the betting shop will help Forensic Architecture and its technical partners to use satellite images of the area, to enable them get composite pictures of the faces of the two alleged murderers put together - and subsequently published in the Ghanaian media by the CID investigative team assigned to the case.

By working together with their foreign media partners such as Al Jazeera, to collaborate with Forensic Architecture, Tiger Eye Private Investigators can help bring those behind the cowardly killing of Ahmed Hussein-Suale to book quickly - and get justice for his traumatised family members that way. We must not allow those faceless cowards who target individual journalists and instigate their killing - to ensure that the nefarious activities of our vampire-elites are not revealed to the nation - to get away with such heinous and abominable crimes. Haaba.

Monday, 7 January 2019

The recent arrest of a Nigerian who had rented a property at Ofanko, and had turned it into a shrine full of filth, shocked many in Ghana who witnessed it whiles watching television news reports of the incident. The hapless landlord, who had finally managed to secure a court order for the tenant to be ejected, was clearly relieved that the nightmare he had been going through, was coming to an end. Poor man.

That horrific story, illustrates perfectly, why Ghana should take the lead and demand an immediate revision of the relevant Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols that allow the free movement of the citizens of member states - which enables West Africans to move freely and live in member-nations of their choice in the sub-region. They are now untenable and counter-productive. Full stop.

All ECOWAS citizens must now be compelled to obtain clearance from their national police criminal investigations departments' headquarters before entering another member-state. Ditto clearance from their national immigration service headquarters. They should be made to provide DNA samples, too, in addition to their submitted bio-data. Such data should be shared among the police and immigration authorities in all the ECOWAS states regularly. Nigeria in particular, can post police and immigration officers here, to assist Ghana to screen all Nigerian citizens currently resident in our country.

That will enable us deport the Nigerian crooks ruining the good name of their homeland here with their criminal activities. Far too many ECOWAS citizens with dubious backgrounds have been able to enter our country to live here freely - dreadful individuals who should never have been allowed to do so in the first place. It is such shady characters that have partnered Ghanaian fraudsters to turn our nation into a global power in internet fraud, for example. We must now get rid of all such foreign criminal-types in our midst as quickly as is practicable.

They are abusing our famed hospitality and should no longer be tolerated here. Once that is done, we will begin to see the many benefits of living with law-abiding fellow ECOWAS citizens - benefits that accrue to melting-pot-societies globally: which make their economies dynamic and growth-oriented. The question is: Should Ghana now demand a revision of the ECOWAS Protocols that allow the free movement of the citizens of member-states across the sub-region? Enough is enough. Haaba.

Top 5 Black-Owned Banks in America

When you choose a bank, do you think about who owns it? Do you think about who gets loans from that bank and who doesn’t? Thousands of Americans started to consider these things when police shootings of two black men inspired rapper Killer Mike to urge consumers to move their deposits to black-owned banks in service of supporting the black community. And thus, the Bank Black movement was born.

A History of Black-Owned Banks

Social media spread the word with the help of the hashtags #BankBlack and #MoveYourMoney, resulting in an estimated $60 million being moved to black-owned banks in just nine months. The movement draws on a long history of calls for black financial empowerment that dates back to a bank established by Congress in 1864 to serve former slaves. In the many decades since, other banks have emerged to help the African-American community start businesses, buy homes and invest in each other when other banks weren’t doing so. Some of those banks are still around today.

According to a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) study, black-owned banks made about 67% of their mortgage loans to black borrowers, compared with fewer than 1% made by community banks not run by minorities. So while there are only 19 black-owned banks in the entire country as of Oct. 30, 2018, according to BankBlackUSA.org, they do make a difference.

Here are the five biggest black-owned banks in America, where they’re located, how many millions they hold in assets and deposits, and how they serve their communities.

1. OneUnited Bank

Assets: $661 million

Headquarters: Boston

Deposits: $376 million

Number of branches: Six

Opened almost 50 years ago, the nation’s largest black-owned bank’s slogan is “part protest, part progress.” OneUnited is a government-designated CDFI serving low- to moderate-income communities. The bank holds workshops and events to increase financial literacy in the communities it serves and offers affordable financial services to meet its customers’ needs, including a secured credit card for rebuilding credit and a second-chance checking account.

2. Liberty Bank and Trust Company

Assets: Over $594 million

Headquarters: New Orleans

Deposits: $549 million

Number of branches: 22

Liberty Bank, a CDFI with branches in seven states, has increased its assets from $183 million a decade ago to more than $594 million today. Its Liberty Foundation pursues philanthropic initiatives, such as expanding access to secondary and higher education and increasing the availability of affordable housing. The bank’s chairman since its founding in 1972, Dr. Norman C. Francis, has also served as president of Xavier University since 1968.

3. Citizens Trust Bank

Assets: $399 million

Headquarters: Atlanta

Deposits: $340 million

Number of branches: 10

This strong and growing96-year-old bank increased its assets, loans and mortgage originations in 2016. Its deposit accounts increased at six times the normal rate last year, thanks to an increased awareness of Citizens Trust generated by social media. The bank offers an affordable housing program for buyers who need down payment assistance; it also offers financial counseling.

Citizens Trust has also offered a program for middle- and high-school students called How to Do Your Banking, which uses learn-by-doing exercises to provide lessons on the importance of saving even small amounts, using a budget to achieve financial goals, how to bank online, how to keep checking accounts in balance and how to manage basic investing.

4. Industrial Bank

Assets: $423 million

Headquarters: Washington, D.C.

Deposits: $331 million

Number of branches: Eight

Industrial Bank, a CDFI founded in 1934, received about $2.7 million in deposits through more than 1,500 new accounts last July as part of D.C.’s #DivestToInvest movement, whose goal is to support African-American-owned banks and businesses. In 2015, the bank earned a Bank Enterprise Award worth $253,000 for increasing the number of loans it made in low- and moderate-income communities. More than 60% of its assets have been invested in these communities for more than 10 years.

5. The Harbor Bank of Maryland

Assets: $266 million

Headquarters: Baltimore

Deposits: $233 million

Number of branches: Seven

Opened in 1982, Harbor Bank primarily serves the Baltimore area with a variety of checking accounts, savings accounts, and loans. It is the country’s first community bank to have an investment subsidiary, Harbor Financial Services. Last November the bank announced plans to open a co-working incubator at its downtown headquarters to support local black-owned startups as well as community development and advocacy groups. It also received $70 million in federal funding to revitalize low-income communities.

The Bottom Line

Compared to the nation’s largest bank, JPMorgan Chase, these black-owned banks are tiny. Chase had $2 trillion in total assets, dwarfing OneUnited’s $661 million. However, a bank doesn’t have to be big to be successful and serve its customers well, though a lack of resources can sometimes hinder smaller institutions from doing all that their communities might like them to do.

Further, despite the average statistics, just because any particular bank is black-owned does not automatically mean that it does a superior job of serving the black community or that it is free from the corruption that has plagued the big banks. Consumers should thoroughly research the institution where they are putting their money, even when social change is one of their priorities in choosing a bank. To find a black-owned bank near you, see the spreadsheet compiled by Bank Black USA, which contains details about each of the country’s black-owned banks and grades them on the products they offer, their impact on the communities they serve and their usefulness to minorities.

Specialized products and fast fashion changes is the norm in the clothing industry. But a Swedish sustainability-focused outdoor brand is pulling in the opposite direction: their design philosophy is to make durable garments with many applications, that can stay with their owner for a long time. To promote this idea, the stores are turned into hubs for circularity.

Houdini’s shell garments are made from recycled materials and can be recycled after use. The treatment of the Corner jacket is fluorocarbon free. Both the thread and the layers of fabric are made from pure polyester, to simplify recycling. Photo: Houdini Sportswear.

”Being a norm breaker is always a challenge. But on the other hand, we have never wanted to take the easy path; we are dedicated to this and willing to work hard”, says Mia Grankvist, PR & Communications Manager at Houdini.

Is it really necessary to have specific products for every different activity – or can garments be made versatile enough to work in more applications than one? Can they be personal and robust enough to be kept for a long time, so that one rather repairs them than replaces them? Can function be combined with so simple designs and so pure materials that the materials in the garments can be recycled without hassle? These are the kinds of questions that Houdini Sportswear consider and try to answer with their products. Merely asking them challenges many conventions.

”In this case, the design philosophy is derived from our way of life. We are making products the way we want them to be – a small wardrobe of well-designed garments that allow an active, simple, and spontaneous lifestyle. We want to inspire more people to live like that, inspire to consume less but smarter. Our aim is to be a counterweight”, Mia Grankvist explains.

A circular eco-system of business models

To prolong the life of the products, Houdini has developed their so-called Re projects: Repair, Reuse, Rent and Recycle. This means in-store repair services, second-hand sales of their own products, and garment rentals. In 2007, the company began to collect used garments in recycling boxes in the stores, so that the materials can be recovered and circulated into new products.

”We recycle all the polyester garments in Japan, where they are turned into new textile fibers. The process can be repeated over and over without degradation and without adding virgin materials. The garments we make from natural fibers – mostly merino wool – are developed to be pure enough for composting. Wool recycling technology does exist, but not as advanced as for polyester; virgin wool still has to be added to ensure the quality”, Mia Grankvist says.

Repairs were a part of the original concept, and rentals and second-hand were added in 2012. But the development of new business models is an ever ongoing process, and new service solutions are underway:
”One exciting research project we are working on now is a subscription service, where the collective of customers get access to a large Houdini wardrobe instead of everyone owning just a few garments of their own. In the long run, our hope is that this segment of our operations will change our view on consumption, moving the focus from ownership to access to function”, Mia Grankvist says. She believes that a sharing economy would bring enormous sustainability advantages:

”In everything from resource management to control over material flows, which is a key to create the circular flows we are striving for.”

The subscription service is already in pilot testing, and Houdini hopes to launch it within a few years. During the next year, the Re services will also be digitalized, making them more available. There has been a lot of interest in the services, and the company expects them to have strong growth.

Innovative, sustainable lines of products

The Houdini store at Magasinsgatan 22 in Gothenburg was built to be one of the most sustainable in the world. Second-hand sales, rental, repairs and recycling are integral concepts in the increasingly circular business model. More than 70 percent of the Houdini product range is circular today. Photo: Houdini Sportswear.

Developent for sustainability is not just a matter of circular business models. Another important part is design and product development, and Houdini relies on innovation to remove known obstacles with the materials, technologies and processes that are used in the industry. The compostable clothes in the Houdini Menu is one example:
”With Houdini Menu we wanted to prove that 100 percent degradable garments is a real possibility. Most of the wool garments on the market today are mixed with synthetic fibres or treated with chemicals that don’t belong in nature, and thus cannot be recycled or composted”, Mia Grankvist says.

The last three years have also seen innovations such as pattern design based on the body’s movements in the Made to Move collection, and the removal of all bioaccumulative fluorocarbons (the outdoor industry’s long-time go-to solution for water- and dirt repellancy).

”Made to Move brought us one step closer towards eliminating elastic fibers, which would be a major environmental advantage since fibers such as elastane can not be recycled. It is another chance to go from linear products to circular. The phasing-out of fluorocarbons is also a big win, since those substances have no place in nature at all, and we notice that others are following our lead”, Mia Grankvist says.

Approaching circularity

”We have been able to transform every product in our portfolio to be more sustainable, with recycled raw materials instead of virgin, sustainable chemicals instead of conventional, with new systems for recycling, composting and so on”, Mia Grankvist says. ”Reaching 100 percent product circularity is an incredible feat, but we are almost there now.”

More than 70 percent of the Houdini products are circular today. The goal is to reach 100 percent by 2022, and to make all of the processes circular as well by 2030:

”If we succeed, we will not consume any finite resources from the planet, we will only circulate existing materials and use sustainable renewable energy. There will be no waste streams at all in such a system. Everything will remain a resource, just like in nature”, Mia Grankvist says. She thinks that setting an example for others is important:

”The fact that Houdini’s garments will not end up as waste is a small win for the environment, after all. But if we can inspire others to transition to circular processes as well, the impact will be bigger.”

Many seem to appreciate the role Houdini has chosen, as a counterweight to fast fashion. In the last five years, annual growth has been 20-30 percent, and this year, sales are expected to reach 200 MSEK. The domestic market is half of that, but exports are growing. The company is not surprised by the development; sustainability is both an business opportunity and a prerequisite for profit, they believe.

”We are not the only ones that think that; we are attracting interest from others that share our perspective, and customers that love what we do. We are a sought-after partner for innovation, and our co-workers are amazing. All in all, it is more of a movement than a company. A movement of change, determined to contribute to a better world”, Mia Grankvist concludes.The article was published in December 2018.
Inlägget A counterweight to fast fashion dök först upp på Miljönytta.

Sunday, 6 January 2019

There are far too many companies operating here (but legally domiciled overseas), which make untruthful public statements in Ghana - and get away with it. Yet, there are times when the opposite is actually stated in filings submitted to regulatory bodies in their home countries on the selfsame matters. That is why the Ghanaian media ought to keep an eye on filings submitted by foreign companies doing business here, such as Goldfields, to the Securities and Exchange Commissions of nations such as the UK, Canada and the U.S.

To serve as inspiration for the more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media, today, we are sharing a culled emailed newsletter from MiningWatch Canada. If they care about their collective future and the long-term well-being of Mother Ghana, our younger generations must not tolerate foreign investors who refuse to be ethical when interacting with local stakeholders at all material times. Enough is enough. The question is: As a people, has the time not come for us to start demanding that henceforth, all foreign businesses in our country, ought to ensure that corporate good governance principles underpin all their Ghanaian operations? Haaba.

Please read on:

"

Accountability group seeks report on consultation with Guatemala’s Xinka Indigenous people

(Guatemala City, Washington DC, Toronto, Tatamagouche, Ottawa) Today, ahead of the January 8th shareholder vote on Pan American Silver's acquisition of Tahoe Resources, the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project (JCAP) filed letters with the British Columbia Securities Commission and the US Securities and Exchange Commission asking for an investigation about claims in relation to the court-ordered consultation with Xinka Indigenous people in Guatemala.

The letters provide evidence to the BCSC and the U.S. SEC that Pan American Silver (TSX: PAAS; NASDAQ: PAAS) and Tahoe Resources’ (TSX: THO; NYSE: TAHO) have made misleading statements on the future of the Escobal mine, and failed to disclose serious issues and conflict already emerging with the consultation process. The letter also points out the failure to disclose that the court suspended an application for an exploratory licence as well as an order that could result in increased royalties.

These letters mark the third submission regarding Tahoe Resources in less than three years. JCAP filedletters to the U.S. SEC in August 2016, and with the BCSC in May 2017, informing them that Tahoe had not disclosed its failure to consult with Indigenous people and its knowledge of serious community opposition to the mine. Tahoe denied that there were any problems, but two months after the British Columbia complaint, in July 2017, a court in Guatemala suspended operations over discrimination and lack of consultation with Xinka Indigenous people.

“I use this case in my business law classes to show what happens when companies don’t get consent from communities,” said Shin Imai, JCAP lawyer and professor emeritus at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. “At its height in 2014, Tahoe was trading at almost $25, and now it is hovering below $4”.

Xinka authorities are closely monitoring the process to make sure their rights are respected during the consultation and have denounced Tahoe Resources for pursuing parallel negotiations on the margins of the consultation process, circumventing the Xinka people’s legitimately elected authorities.

“Tahoe has a proven track record of grossly overstating its social licence, and this is no exception,” said Ellen Moore, International Mining Coordinator for Earthworks. “It is critical that BC and US regulators investigate Pan American and Tahoe for not disclosing everything they know about conflicts surrounding the consultation process and the potential for a restart of the Escobal mine.”

NOTE: Due to the ongoing U.S government shutdown, JCAP was unable to electronically submit the U.S SEC complaints. They will do so as soon as the website reopens.

Tahoe Resources’ Escobal silver mine in southeastern Guatemala has been suspended since June 2017, first due to community protest, and later by order of the courtover discrimination and failure to consult with the Indigenous Xinka people. Tahoe has faced widespread, grassroots opposition since it began development of the mine in 2010.

Pan American Silver has promoted the potential value of Escobalas a way of building shareholder confidence ahead of the sale, obscuring the significant risks associated with investing in the project and downplaying the importance of Xinka agreement to the continuation of the project.

Mayors in five municipalities surrounding Escobal refuse mine royalty payments out of respect for the municipal referenda. Two around-the-clock protest camps on the highway on either side of the mine in Casillas and Mataquescuintla continue despite the mine’s indefinite suspension.

The January 3, 2019 letters to the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the British Columbia Securities Commission were filed by the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project (JCAP) on behalf of Earthworks, MiningWatch Canada and Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network.

Accountability group seeks report on consultation with Guatemala’s Xinka Indigenous people

(Guatemala City, Washington DC, Toronto, Tatamagouche, Ottawa) Today, ahead of the January 8th shareholder vote on Pan American Silver's acquisition of Tahoe Resources, the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project (JCAP) filed letters with the British Columbia Securities Commission and the US Securities and Exchange Commission asking for an investigation about claims in relation to the court-ordered consultation with Xinka Indigenous people in Guatemala.

The letters provide evidence to the BCSC and the U.S. SEC that Pan American Silver (TSX: PAAS; NASDAQ: PAAS) and Tahoe Resources’ (TSX: THO; NYSE: TAHO) have made misleading statements on the future of the Escobal mine, and failed to disclose serious issues and conflict already emerging with the consultation process. The letter also points out the failure to disclose that the court suspended an application for an exploratory licence as well as an order that could result in increased royalties.

These letters mark the third submission regarding Tahoe Resources in less than three years. JCAP filedletters to the U.S. SEC in August 2016, and with the BCSC in May 2017, informing them that Tahoe had not disclosed its failure to consult with Indigenous people and its knowledge of serious community opposition to the mine. Tahoe denied that there were any problems, but two months after the British Columbia complaint, in July 2017, a court in Guatemala suspended operations over discrimination and lack of consultation with Xinka Indigenous people.

“I use this case in my business law classes to show what happens when companies don’t get consent from communities,” said Shin Imai, JCAP lawyer and professor emeritus at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. “At its height in 2014, Tahoe was trading at almost $25, and now it is hovering below $4”.

Xinka authorities are closely monitoring the process to make sure their rights are respected during the consultation and have denounced Tahoe Resources for pursuing parallel negotiations on the margins of the consultation process, circumventing the Xinka people’s legitimately elected authorities.

“Tahoe has a proven track record of grossly overstating its social licence, and this is no exception,” said Ellen Moore, International Mining Coordinator for Earthworks. “It is critical that BC and US regulators investigate Pan American and Tahoe for not disclosing everything they know about conflicts surrounding the consultation process and the potential for a restart of the Escobal mine.”

NOTE: Due to the ongoing U.S government shutdown, JCAP was unable to electronically submit the U.S SEC complaints. They will do so as soon as the website reopens.

Tahoe Resources’ Escobal silver mine in southeastern Guatemala has been suspended since June 2017, first due to community protest, and later by order of the courtover discrimination and failure to consult with the Indigenous Xinka people. Tahoe has faced widespread, grassroots opposition since it began development of the mine in 2010.

Pan American Silver has promoted the potential value of Escobalas a way of building shareholder confidence ahead of the sale, obscuring the significant risks associated with investing in the project and downplaying the importance of Xinka agreement to the continuation of the project.

Mayors in five municipalities surrounding Escobal refuse mine royalty payments out of respect for the municipal referenda. Two around-the-clock protest camps on the highway on either side of the mine in Casillas and Mataquescuintla continue despite the mine’s indefinite suspension.

The January 3, 2019 letters to the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the British Columbia Securities Commission were filed by the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project (JCAP) on behalf of Earthworks, MiningWatch Canada and Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network."